A man lost almost 100 pounds in a year so he could wear a Christmas sweater — here's how he did it

After having to buy clothes from specialty stores, Paul Garland made it a goal to lose weight in 2017.

The 64-year-old lost almost 100 pounds in a year, and credits his success to hypnotherapy.

Garland is thrilled that his transformation allows him to wear festive holiday sweaters.

"I never thought I would be able to buy one in a normal size and it feels great," he said.

In 2016, Paul Garland was searching for the perfect Christmas sweater (or jumper, as they're called in his town of Hampshire, England). Unfortunately, the 64-year-old was unable to find one that could fit his 54-inch chest.

So Garland decided to do what most people do as the year comes to a close: make a New Year's resolution to lose weight. Of course, most people forget their resolutions by February and fail to achieve their goals. That wasn't the case for Garland, who managed to lose seven stones — approximately 98 pounds — throughout the year. The secret to his success: hypnotherapy.

Hypnosis is not a new weight loss method. The practice can be dated back to the '80s, when one of the the first studies on hypnosis and weight loss was published. The researchers of the study found that overweight women who used a hypnosis program lost 17 pounds, compared to 0.5 pounds for women who were just told to watch what they ate.

More research and studies have since confirmed that initial theory, including a 2014 study which found that hypnosis helps women improve their weight, BMI, eating behavior, and even their body image. INSIDER spoke with Caroline Apovian, a professor of medicine and pediatrics at Boston University School of Medicine and director of the Center for Nutrition and Weight Management, about the use of hypnosis as a weight loss tool. She has seen several patients use and benefit from the technique, specifically those with psychological conditions.

"There are many patients who complain of anxiety which makes them overeat, and this is certainly ameliorated by a hypnotic state," Apovian told INSIDER.

Although it's unclear if that was the case for Garland, who worked with clinical hypnotherapist Mary Burgess, his story is more recent proof that the method can be a contributing factor in weight loss.

"Mary pulls the curtains, you get comfortable in the chair, you lay back, close your eyes, she plays some soothing music and she talks you down into a state which is very much like when you wake up in the morning but are not quite awake," Garland told SWNS about the process. "She puts triggers in her conversation with you — to not have coke or to have smaller portions, don't eat the savory biscuits or crisps."

But even Burgess knew hypnosis alone wouldn't be enough to get Garland down to his goal weight.

"After I lost a couple of stones she said try and up your walking of eight to ten thousand steps," Garland said. And he did just that, sometimes walking up to six miles a day. He also joined a local gym and goes five days a week— something he never thought would happen.

"I'm a bit of a gym junkie when I never thought I would be, he said. "I used to say, 'look at those sad people jogging' when I was in the car, but I go out and I can jog."

Garland also changed up his eating habits in order to shed some pounds. Prior to his weight loss, Garland ate up to 250 grams of cheese a day, as well as bread, pasta, and biscuits. Nowadays, he incorporates more vegetables and protein into his diet.

But the best part of the transformation is being able to wear one of those infamous Christmas sweaters that he longed for.